2025 Iowa State Fair Parade

Hello, and welcome to live coverage of the 2025 Iowa State Fair Parade right here on Iowa PBS. I'm Travis Graven, and I am joined by the incomparable Charity Nebbe. And we are thrilled to be bringing you one of the most beloved events here at the Iowa State Fair.

[Charity Nebbe] That is right, Travis. And the energy is building. The streets are filling up. We are just moments away from the first float rolling by. So whether you're joining us on the air, YouTube, Facebook or streaming at iowapbs.org, we are thrilled to have you with us.

And don't forget, this is just the beginning. Iowa PBS is your home for six nights of fair highlights. The Queen coronation, the Bill Riley Talent Search, and all of your favorite moments from the fairgrounds.

So settle in and let's enjoy the Iowa State Fair Parade.

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(Text on screen: Downtown Des Moines)

[Charity] It is a beautiful night for a parade. We couldn't have better weather.

[Travis] Everybody loves a parade, Charity.

[Charity] It's true. We've got sunshine. It's not overly hot. It doesn't feel fair hot yet.

[Travis] We can take this. It's warm. But, you know, after rain earlier today and we've had plenty of rain all summer long. So just to have a nice sunny, warm evening in early August for the Iowa State Fair Parade to kick off the 2025 Iowa State Fair Parade, it's about as perfect as it could be.

[Charity] Absolutely. And there is a big crowd waiting for all of those floats to go by. It's going to be a lot of fun tonight. We've got the police escort already making their way past our Iowa PBS tent here.

Just in case you weren't sure, there they are.

And of course, the colors are always carried by the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa State Patrol Honor Guard.

And the security law enforcement efforts at the state fair really are a collaborative effort. So all of these law enforcement groups are involved in keeping everybody safe at the Iowa State Fair, from Des Moines Police to the Iowa State Patrol and Polk County Sheriff's Office. And I think especially the patrol. But I think they pull in a lot of people from all across the state to help at the fairgrounds.

And I always get a kick out of these classic vehicles that they send past as well. It makes me think to send those out on the highway, too, I think.

Yeah, yeah.

It reminds me. It makes me think of the old Dukes of Hazzard, right? You know?

And we always have a good seat at the fair.

We once again would like to thank the Iowa Genealogical Society for hosting us in their parking lot here on the east side of downtown Des Moines, providing us this terrific vantage point for this year's State Fair Parade. We've been here for several years. At the Iowa Genealogical Society, they believe that your family story is part of America's story. And so whether it's maybe a great grandfather who served or a grandmother who crossed oceans to come to America, they're not just names on a piece of paper. They're your they're your family. They're your roots, your blood, your legacy. So come visit the Iowa Genealogical Society in Des Moines and start the journey of discovering your family roots.

We've got the parade Grand Marshal this year is the Fiddle Contest. So it's not just one person or a couple of people, but celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Fiddle Contest this year. And we've got a whole bunch of fiddlers passing us by right now. A little later on, we are going to do an interview with Angela Bellagante, the superintendent of the Fiddle Contest. So that'll be a lot of fun as well.

[Charity] And there's our governor, Governor Kim Reynolds, the 43rd governor of Iowa. Of course, in office since 2017.

[Travis] And she'll have one more state fair parade to come. Since she is not running for reelection in 2026.

[Charity] And following behind the governor, we've got the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, Chris Cournoyer, and she's a relatively new as lieutenant governor of Iowa. She took office in December of 2024, replacing Adam Gregg. She previously served as a state senator from the 35th district in eastern Iowa.

[Travis] And then Attorney General Brenna Bird, elected back in 2022.

Two statewide office holders. Following the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Rob Sand, who is state auditor. He was first elected in 2018 to that post.

[Charity] And then Roby Smith elected to serve as the 26th state treasurer, took office in 2023.

We've got Ruth Ann Gaines as well, Iowa representative representing the 32nd district on the east side of Des Moines.

[Travis] East side, home to the Iowa State Fair.

[Charity] Of course. And you got to go to East Side Night at the Iowa State Fair if you know how to have fun. Speaking of having fun at the fair, Travis, we are throughout our coverage this year - we are asking fairgoers for their advice. So we're going to get a lot of pro tips this year. What do you think from your experience, you've been a gazillion times. What is the biggest rookie mistake that people make at the fair?

[Travis] Oh, the biggest rookie mistake. Maybe eating too much at one time. You know, you have to pace yourself. You have to go in with a plan. Kind of have an idea of what you want. And when you're going to eat it during your time at the fair, because there's just there's way too, too many things to choose from. And if you do it all at one time, you're going to be sorry by the time you're done with your fair experience.

[Charity] Mine is lack of sunscreen. You gotta put on the sunscreen even if it's a cloudy day. Wear your sunscreen or you will, 100% regret it. Stay hydrated. Yes. All right. We've got the fair board members now. They are elected annually by delegates from Iowa's 106 county fairs. They look excited. Ready?

("Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston playing.)

[Travis] Yeah, don't you want to dance?

[Charity] And of course, we have our our mascots on the float this year as well. Normally, Fairfield and Rosetta walk, but they're riding this year, you know? I hope they're okay.

[Travis] I say good for them, if they landed a spot on the trailer, that's kind of shaded.

[Charity] Right?

[Travis] Wearing those fuzzy mascot costumes.

[Charity] I thought that was their skin. Okay, costume.

[Travis] Did I just blow the surprise? The mystery?

[Charity] This is the 2024 Iowa State Fair Queen, Elli Blackford.

[Travis] From Clarke County. And the new 2025 State Fair Queen will be crowned Saturday night. I'll be there on the Bill Riley stage, and we'll have live coverage here on Iowa PBS. More than 100 contestants. You can see some of them passing us by here. Takes more than one trailer to load them all up, but they've arrived at the fairgrounds and are going through their usual events and activities leading up to the fair. And what a wonderful experience for all of them. Obviously representing their counties, their communities. But getting to come here to the Iowa State Fair and, and have fun.

[Charity] And clearly have fun together as well. Get to meet people from all over the state and... Singing a little Rodgers and Hammerstein's "State Fair" there. I was surprised not to hear it on the last float. We must have just missed it. That is yet again a classic tradition at the Iowa State Fair Parade.

[Travis] The book "State Fair," I think it prompted the movie. There's, I don't know, 2 to 3 or 3 to 4 things that kind of were spun off of that.

[Charity] A couple different versions. Movie versions. And, and then there's also a Pat Boone movie version. Do you know about this? But they moved it from Iowa. It's a state fair in Texas in the Pat Boone version. I wouldn't recommend it. That's not the one I'd watch.

[Travis] And some of the volunteers at the fair, the fair could not go on without all of the volunteers. Countless hours by those folks making sure that everyone gets into the fair, that they get where they want to go at the fairgrounds, helping everybody out, doing a lot of different jobs and very, very important work.

All right. We love a marching band.

[Charity] We do. The Des Moines East Marching Scarlets. Let's listen.

♪♪

That was great.

(Applause)

[Travis] I love it as a marching band member myself in high school, it was one of my favorite parts of being in band. And so I love seeing a band and it's tricky for bands because they've been out of school for a couple months.

[Charity] Right, my school, when I was growing up, we used to do this parade and we'd have to go in for a summer camp to get up to speed and we also had to wear our full uniforms. I think t-shirts and shorts are much more humane.

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[Travis] We just saw the Corndog Kickoff winners, right?

[Charity] And they got that. It was an opportunity to dress as ketchup and mustard that was auctioned off.

And now we've got the Iowa PBS crowd. What are we? What are we doing? Not giving them their due.

[Travis] Stepping on our own folks here.

(Laughter)

Good to see some of our colleagues out there. Of course, you're home for all of your fair highlights. Starting Monday night.

[Charity] You've got to stay with us throughout the fair. You don't want to miss a moment.

[Travis] There's always some, you know, there are certain things that you just you kind of come back to year after year that are just go to parts of the fair. But every year there's something new and different as well.

[Charity] Absolutely.

[Travis] Make sure we feature those and let everybody know what's going on.

[Charity] AT&CO Dance Studio is up next. Lots of dancers.

[Travis] There's always lots of dancers. It's interesting to see what routines, what costumes some of them will do some acrobatics. And of course there is, I don't even know how many different kinds of dance. I wasn't into the dance world, Charity.

[Charity] Well, we will do some research before we come back next year. And we'll have a lot of information.

[Travis] As long as I don't have to dance.

(Laughter)

We're all good.

(Laughter)

Nobody wants to see.

(Laughter)

[Charity] I'm going to ask you more advice. What is your pro tip? Your one pro tip for enjoying the fair? You already said stay hydrated, so you got to come up with a different one.

[Travis] I would recommend if you have the freedom and flexibility to choose, go like on Tuesday late in the afternoon into the evening.

[Charity] Oh that's smart, that's clever.

[Travis] The crowds are less you know, it's going to be a little cooler in the evening. Of course, it all depends on what you want to see and do at the fair. But, that's that's my pro tip.

[Charity] Mine would be to get your hands on a map. Oh yeah. Because if you're not super familiar with the fairgrounds, it can be easy to get a little disoriented. There are lots of crowds, and you'll be like, wait, where are all the the cakes? What am I? How am I going to get there? And you want to know what's air conditioned too? Oh yeah, that's really smart.

[Travis] You got to be. It helps to be efficient.

[Charity] It does.

[Charity] When you're at the fair. No. Where you're going, what you're doing.

[Charity] The my favorite one of my favorite spots is upstairs in the very in the the Varied Industries building. Because a lot of people miss that. And that's air conditioned and has beautiful, beautiful things to.

[Travis] Speaking of the varied industries, building Charity, fans of Iowa PBS will not want to miss our booth in the Varied Industries building. You can try out the interactive trivia wall, snap photos at the three sided selfie stations featuring programs like Iowa PBS Sports and Pose. With a larger than life tribute to everyone's favorite big Red dog, Clifford. You can also show your Iowa PBS pride with a free foldable fan to take home.

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[Travis] Of course, everyone loves all the free stuff from the varied industries building, so come into the varied industries building. Cool off with the air conditioning and come see us at our Iowa PBS booth.

[Charity] And then go upstairs and see all the textiles, because they're wonderful.

[Travis] I think a lot of people forget that the textiles are even in the industry.

[Charity] I agree, I agree, that's one of my favorite, favorite stops. We've got the daughters of the American Revolution that are passing in front of us right now. And what I love, one of the things that I love about the fair is the incredible variety, because we go from the Daughters of the American Revolution to the Dayton Rodeo.

[Travis] Dayton Rodeo is not too far from my home neck of the woods. This year's Dayton Rodeo, August 29 to September 1. So if you wanted to go stick that on your calendar, are they holding 50?

[Charity] I don't know. It's the 88th annual.

[Charity] I don't know, but 50 is an exciting number.

[Travis] Maybe it's an inside rodeo thing.

[Charity] Here's Miss Sky Glider and the Wingnuts.

[Travis] I didn't even know there was a Miss Sky Glider.

[Charity] You know now.

[Travis] Now we do. I kind of like the Wingnuts though, too.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] And the bubble machine.

[Charity] I hope they sing. All right, one more piece of advice. What do you think? Footwear.

[Travis] Oh, gosh. I could go on and on about footwear. Every year I see somebody in really uncomfortable boots or high heeled shoes or almost just as bad are flip flops.

[Charity] Yep.

[Travis] Don't wear open toed shoes to the fair, people. Your feet are going to be gross.

[Charity] Well, okay. If you wear if you wear your sports sandals, I think your feet will be gross. But you're going to be okay. I just think you can blow out a flip flop super easily. You're going to get in 20,000 steps in one day at the Iowa State Fair. Every time I check my steps, I'm like, wow.

[Travis] The fair does not need to be a fashion competition.

[Charity] Except on the East Side Night.

Simpson College is here passing us now. Liberal arts college in Indianola. And now some jeeps. The Iowa Jeep Club.

[Travis] You know, there are a lot of different kinds of jeeps. I couldn't name all of them for you.

[Charity] But apparently they have a whole lot of fun. They do.

[Travis] A lot of different activities...

[Charity] ...trail rides, social events, potlucks, help each other out with their vehicles. And there are a lot of them in the parade today. Speaking of a lot of things, 67 new foods this year. 67. That's always amazing. I know people. You've got to have a new food. You've got to drive that traffic to your stand.

[Travis] Now, I will say, sometimes a few of the new foods are like maybe a different flavor of lemonade that hasn't been there before, but still, always coming up with new stuff.

[Charity] Top three. We've already narrowed it down. The top three this year that fairgoers will be voting on are the Scotcheroos Shake. That's from Over the Top, made with scotcheroo ice cream, fudge and chunks of scotcheroo. The next one is Three Little Pigs, from Whatcha Smokin Barbecue. A trio of ham balls, each suggesting a different tried and true fair flavor. And then third Bacon Chicken Ranch Egg Roll from Winn and Sara's Kitchen, filled with chicken, crispy bacon and cheddar cheese.

[Travis] I think those are all reasonable things.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] You know, sometimes they're not totally...

[Charity] ...off the wall.

[Travis] Sometimes there is just something like, really? How in the world did you come up with this though? Which one of those do you want to...

[Charity] The Scotcheroo.

[Travis] The Scotcheroo?

[Charity] Yeah. You knew it.

[Travis] I think I'll probably go with the egg roll first, but I kind of want to try all them just to be able to compare.

[Charity] But you're going to pace yourself because you already gave us that important advice.

[Travis] Exactly. You can't do them all at once.

Well, folks, as you may have heard, Congress recently cut 3.5 million dollars in federal funding to Iowa PBS. This is the largest one-time cut in our 55 year history, affecting 18% of our budget. These funds help maintain our statewide network, delivering trusted local programs to every corner of Iowa. Now, despite the challenge, we are committed to our mission to educate, inform, enrich and inspire. Thank you for watching and supporting and standing up for public television. Please consider a gift to Friends of Iowa PBS today. You can scan the QR code on your screen right there, or give us a call at 800-779-7000 and make a gift to keep Iowa PBS going strong and bringing you all of this fair coverage.

[Charity] And a whole lot of other stuff, too.

[Travis] Absolutely. Okay, what have we got here?

[Charity] Some mini jeeps. We're still looking at jeeps. There's a lot of jeeps.

[Travis] Little jeeps. That threw me off with the little jeeps.

[Charity] Right, big jeeps, little jeeps.

[Travis] And someone that looks like Hulk Hogan. A tribute I guess.

[Charity] Right? Yeah.

[Travis] All right, we've got another dance studio. The GRACE Ballet.

[Charity] Redefining dance.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] If you can't make it to the fair. Of course we have you covered here at Iowa PBS. For over 50 years Iowa PBS has been showcasing the best of the Iowa State Fair. Tune in each night, next week, Monday through Saturday at 9 or 10 to see the fair like you will not see it anywhere else. Right here on Iowa PBS.

[Travis] I remember when I was growing up, we usually went to the fair one day, but I could not wait every night at 9:00 to tune in Iowa PBS and watch fair coverage, because it made me feel like I was at the fair every day. And there are a lot of people that can't go to the fair. And so we're able to bring the fair to them.

[Charity] We've got the Central Iowa Model A Club traveling past us now. Antique cars, they're all being driven under their own power, which is an incredible feat. Although I have been told that they were solid, solid machines at the very start. The Model A replaced the legendary Model T in 1927. A very modern vehicle as you can see. 30 different body styles.

[Travis] And the cost...

[Charity] Well, they had to be within reach of the working man, right? So $385 to $1,400. Obviously a significant investment. But if you saved your wages working at Henry Ford's factories, you could have your own car. Revolutionized the entire country and culture.

[Travis] It's really cool seeing anytime people take old things and make them make them new again.

[Charity] I have read about, in some cases, antique cars, because the old engines are no longer operational, they'll take out the old internal combustion engine and put it in electric motor, which I think that's pretty cool.

The Iowa State Education Association, you see some crayons in the crowd there. Getting ready for the school year.

[Travis] It'll be here before we know it.

[Charity] Yeah. As soon as the fair is over. School waits for the Iowa State Fair, by law, in the state of Iowa.

Downtown Neighborhood Association in Des Moines.

[Travis] Yeah, they cover me.

[Charity] We were talking earlier about all the new foods, but I think it's pretty extraordinary, I love to spend time in the Elwell building and there's always something happening in there. So many.

[Travis] Every day.

[Charity] Yeah, so many contests have already started. Even though the fair is not officially open yet, there are over 700 classes in the foods department and hundreds of individual entries. I would say thousands of individual entries in these contests. I have a friend who makes it his mission to enter every single canned goods category.

[Travis] Oh. I know who you're...Rod?

[Charity] No, it's not Rod. Rod has been the king of canned foods for many years. This is George. He actually has become good friends with Rod. Well, but yes, there's a there's a new generation coming on up in the canned foods.

[Travis] That's good. I always am intrigued when I look at the just the way that they put everything in there. And it's so carefully in the jar and it looks really cool and, and some things that are canned or pickled that you never would imagine.

[Charity] Absolutely.

[Travis] Or at least I wouldn't.

[Charity] Obviously, we will be covering various things. We can't cover everything in the food department, but on Iowa PBS this year we will cover the Scotcheroos Snack Down. That's on Wednesday night and the Elevated Cheesecake Contest on Saturday night. And of course, our highlights programs are on every night of the week at 9 p.m. And if you miss them, you can find them on YouTube and iowapbs.org.

[Travis] I would like to volunteer to be a judge for both of those competitions if those spots are not already filled.

[Charity] Well, I tell you what, that's an area - if you dive into food judging, get some advice from a seasoned judge. Because I've talked to a few and they have excellent advice because you can overdo really fast.

[Travis] Yeah, it depends too on on the the food competition for sure. This is the Assorted Classic VW vehicles that you're seeing come down  Grand Avenue. It is the grand.

[Charity] Oh, these are great cars though.

[Travis] What a variety.

[Charity] Great cars and great shape.

We of course have your front row seat to everything delicious and over the top at the Iowa State Fair. On Monday night we're diving into the new foods that everyone is buzzing about and meeting the heavyweight champs of the animal world, too. It's all part of our unbeatable coverage of Fair 2025. Starting at 9:00 on statewide Iowa PBS. I've done new fair foods in the past, that hasn't been my job for several years, but that was your job for a few years, too.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] Talk about a time when you've really got to pace yourself. You're not only eating a lot of new things, you're eating them on camera.

[Travis] Yeah, because...

[Charity] Try not to spill them on your nice Iowa PBS shirt.

[Travis] As you mentioned, there are 67 new foods this year. Usually about 60 to 70 new foods every year. And then the fair folks narrow those down to a dozen or so semifinalists, if you will, and then gather a bunch of people together to judge those and narrow it down to the top three, which are the scotcheroos, the ham balls and the egg roll.

[Charity] Have you been part of the judging and voting?

[Travis] Yes. And that too is quite the event. And you're eating a lot of different things in a short period of time, but you're only eating a little bit, right? Sampling it. I'm certainly not about to complain about judging new fair foods. But now it's been narrowed down to the top three. And now folks can vote for the first several days of the fair to pick this year's favorite fair food.

[Charity] Oh my gosh, look at these vans. They're so great.

[Travis] That red and white one right there.

[Charity] Yeah, I think that's my favorite. The little gingham curtains in the windows. How cute is that?

[Travis] And the... see, the license plate is a Twizzler.

[Charity] Very, very cute.

[Travis] But then, hey, if your going to stay overnight...

[Charity] Want to go camping right now, yeah. A beautiful golden retriever in the front seat on that one. Oh my gosh, these ... so many.

[Travis] On my way here I believe I followed that one right there.

(Laughter)

[Travis] That tan one. Up by the Capitol. Were getting in line.

[Charity] That's great.

[Travis] And then a new one.

[Charity] So if you were new to the fair, what one food would you have to try? Like, if somebody has never gone to the fair, what is the number one thing that you think they should eat?

[Travis] Well, gosh, there are several that I could...

[Charity] You've got to pick one.

[Travis] But I'm going to say I'm going to go with a classic. Because I'm not... I have to admit, I'm not really a big corn dog person, yeah I know, I probably shouldn't admit that on air, but I will say the pork chop on a stick.

Because that is classic state fair as well, in my mind. And I don't know how they ... I wish I could make one like that at home, but whatever they do to them, however they cook them, I've seen them cook them before. I just don't have one of those massive grills.

[Charity] I have a corn dog every year.

[Travis] Those are delicious.

[Charity] I don't miss I don't miss a corn dog. Even if I eat one thing at the fair every year, it's going to be a corn dog.

[Travis] You and a whole bunch of other people. Because 1.6 corn dogs are sold every second.

[Charity] Wow.

[Travis] At the Iowa State Fair. So you're not alone.

[Charity] Big showing for Grand View University. Their cheer and dance teams right here.

[Travis] Grand View is kind of East Side-ish.

[Charity] Well, they're wearing they're wearing the colors.

[Travis] Hometown, college, university for the Iowa State Fair.

[Charity] Lyoncub, 2016 Red Camaro there. We've got a whole bunch of motorcycles coming past next. I don't think they'll hear us. 20 female riders.

[Travis] And there they are. They're gone.

[Travis] Nice. They're having fun.

[Charity] Yeah and making a lot of noise.

[Travis] They're drawing attention.

[Charity] That's right.

We've got another dance team coming. Tanya Ogden's Dance FX.

♪♪

[Travis] Wonder if we'll see any of these dance folks on the Bill Riley stage coming up in the next week and a half.

[Charity] I'll bet.

And here's some more royalty. This is the Miss Iowa Youth program. Our Little Miss Iowa 2025, Lennox Holmes, and Junior Miss Iowa 2025, Ella Housman.

♪♪

Omega Elite just went past us. A nonprofit basketball club in Des Moines. There we go.

♪♪

[Charity] What do you think? What fair food do you think is underrated?

[Travis] A grinder.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] Which is not it's not just a state fair food, right? It's one that I've been eating at the state fair since I was a kid.

[Charity] I love the peppermint ice cream sandwich at Bauders. And I don't know that it's underrated.

[Travis] I was going to say, I would argue though...

[Charity] But I feel like that's a fair insider piece of knowledge. That may be the best dessert at the Iowa State Fair. I'm sorry, that was controversial. Controversial. But, you know, because it's not it's not flashy, it's not new, but it's very, very good. And you want to share it. Bring a friend.

[Travis] And you can never go wrong with ice cream at the Iowa State Fair. I think I read on one of our notes, there are 25 different places on the fairgrounds where you can get ice cream.

[Charity] 25. Wow.

[Travis] This is Sober Soldiers, a recovery group fostering meaningful connections between veterans that are struggling with various things. So, important work.

(Applause)

And there's a Veterans Day at the at the fair. Always fun to see the parade that morning. I'm not sure off the top of my head what day it is, but...

[Charity] We talked about the new foods at the fair, but there are always changes at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. They're always working on making it more beautiful, shoring up some of these old structures. This year, the historic horse barn underwent a $13 million renovation, so it preserved its structure while modernizing facilities. So if you need to go to the bathroom, you might want to go to the horse barn this year. Fairgoers will also notice a new shaded rest area with restrooms at the Ron and Bev Shivers Family Plaza. That is a really good idea. And there's also a new pedestrian entrance at gate 13A, an upgraded sound systems in the livestock areas, more seating and shade throughout the grounds. That's a ... you can't have enough shade at the Iowa State Fair.

[Travis] And they keep just keep making things better out at the fairgrounds. Important work the Blue Ribbon Foundation does out there with the support from a lot of people, and keep everything modern and adding creature comforts.

[Charity] How do you spell fun at the Iowa State Fair? Start with the spelling bee, where sharp young minds go head to head, letter by letter. Then it's speed, skill and serious grocery bagging technique at the fast paced fan favorite Best Bagger Contest.

Don't miss these unique fair competitions and more during our Iowa PBS Fair 2025 coverage that's coming up Tuesday night at 9:00.

Love a spelling bee. It's also nice to not be competing. Can pretend that I really know how to spell all the words. I think I've lost my spelling bee edge over the years.

[Travis] I have PTSD from a spelling competition in high school.

[Charity] Really? Do you need to talk it out?

(Laughter)

[Travis] No.

[Charity] Okay. All right.

[Travis] Steps of Hope.

[Charity] Right. Still watching the Sober Soldiers group head on by, a great turnout for them this year.

If you could deep fry anything and sell it at the fair, what would it be?

[Travis] Oh.

[Charity] I have an answer. You want me to give my answer while you think?

This is $1 million idea, and somebody can steal this from me if you want. So I know that there are places where they'll take, like, a slice of pie and deep fry that. But I think somebody needs to be selling deep fried hand pies. These are common in the South all over the place in Texas. They're so delicious. And I think they'd be a huge hit at the fair. So deep fried hand pies.

[Travis] See that my mind wasn't going there, because that's a normal, reasonable thing. My mind immediately goes to like, what's the most ridiculous, weird thing that you could deep fry? I like it.

(Laughter)

Des Moines Public Schools. Largest public school district in Iowa with over 30,800 students and more than 60 schools.

[Charity] We love our public schools.

[Travis] Did you know there are students from 88 countries? More than 88 countries probably. Speaking between 80 and 100 different languages. Wow. So a diverse student body for sure.

[Charity] And those ELL teachers are incredibly important to help English language learners really get ready for learning in all their subjects.

[Travis] Get them out here in the parade, get get a little workout in during the fair parade and all tuned up and ready to go for school to start another week or two.

[Charity] Yep. Almost time. Not a not a popular line when I say that at home. But you know.

[Travis] The MADE Dance Company. They've got some energy. Now we should check in with him again several blocks from now and see how they're doing at the end of the parade.

[Charity] They're giving it their all. I love this one.

("Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic playing)

[Charity] Little music for GenX-ers out there as well. I've never complained about that.

♪♪

[Travis] I think their support crew.

[Charity] Yep. Everybody needs support.

[Travis] Absolutely.

[Charity] We've got some more royalty. There's so many, so many different royal.

[Travis] Every festival or event has to have a queen.

[Charity] This is the State Center Rose Festival. Rose royalty. State Center, Rose Queen Riley Randall, Princess Rachel Randall, perhaps sisters there? Little Miss Rosebud, Abigail Puffet.

[Travis] State Center, the rose capital of the world. Right here in our own little backyard in east central Iowa.

[Charity] Now we've got the Za‑Ga‑Zig Shrine Shriners from Altoona.

[Travis] No parade is complete without having some Shriners.

[Charity] No, that is true.

[Travis] You got a clown coming.

[Charity] That's a giant inflatable fez that we just saw on the screen. I was like, wait, what is... I got it. Took me a minute. I wonder, they must be really coveted to see who gets to be in the inflatable fez costume.

[Travis] Are you a ride person? Do you go on rides?

[Charity] Okay, so no, I don't, but I've had to do it for Iowa PBS, so I do have some inside knowledge.

[Travis] Well, what's advice that you would give someone who's too scared to go on?

[Charity] Right. Well, don't eat a funnel cake first.

(Laughter)

I think that's that's a good strategy. If you're too scared to go on the rides, don't go on the ones where people are screaming.

[Travis] Well.

[Charity] Pick something where nobody's screaming. Do that. Do the Ferris Wheel.

[Travis] And there is a range so you can find rides that aren't scary.

[Charity] There are. There are a whole lot of them.

[Travis] What right did you go on?

[Charity] Oh my gosh. So it was one of the years I tried all the different places. So I did the oh, my gosh, so Thrillville is the Midway. And then they all have thrill in their name. So I can't... now I'm having a hard time, but I did one of the really big rides, the one that takes you, you know, it was terrifying. It was very peaceful at the top. And then you just dropped like a stone, like four stories, five stories, six stories. It was... I'm going to tell you it's taller than it really is. It was terrifying. And I couldn't stop myself from screaming. But the worst part was over. I'm saying the worst part, but over on the Midway, I did a ride that had, like, you went around in a circle, but then the thing you were on also rotated. And I'm 50 now, Travis. My inner ear is no longer capable of dealing with that. That's one of the first times I've ever gotten sick on a ride.

We had to stop, take a nice long rest after that one. So, you know, maybe the advice is do it if you're young and if you're not young, maybe sit and watch young people do it.

[Travis] You know, there there's bumper cars.

[Charity] Yeah. Bumper cars are fun

[Travis] But you can't go wrong with that. That's pretty low risk.

[Charity] Yes. Absolutely. No. And it's fun. I like a roller coaster. I just can't rotate anymore. And it's fun to watch people having fun.

[Travis] Yeah I would I would say that's part of the fun. You don't have to ride. Just go watch. And listen.

[Charity] My favorite thing at the state fair is people watching. That is 100% my favorite thing.

[Travis] Do you play Bingo?

(Laughter)

[Charity] No, I don't. You'll have to share your card with me.

(Laughter)

We've got more Shriners. These are the Prince Hall Shriners part of Prince Hall Shrine International, and they operate separately from Shriners International. And they support different causes such as scholarships, support for historically black colleges and universities, and also diabetes research.

[Travis] Yeah, that's cool they have a spin off group as well.

Another sports team.

[Charity] Yeah. Softball team. Iowa Elite Force.

[Travis] I tell you, we know from our Iowa PBS sports coverage, softball players know how to cheer. They've got them all down.

[Charity] That's great.

We know that you love watching the fair on Iowa PBS. We also know that some of you spend so much time at the fairgrounds that you miss our nightly coverage, but you can watch all the fair fun anytime, anywhere. Check out iowapbs.org, Iowa PBS's Facebook page and YouTube channel and the PBS app on all of your smart devices. And you know, if you wind up seeing an Iowa PBS camera, you may be part of that fair coverage. So you want to go and watch that later as well. Be sure to tell all of your out-of-state friends and family that they don't have to miss out on the Iowa State Fair. The 2025 Iowa State Fair anytime, anywhere, with statewide Iowa PBS.

That's a great way to get homesick people engaged.

Des Moines Metro Mix Dance Group. This is a girl hip hop dance company coming down the street.

[Travis] Hip hop is a type of dance that I should not do, Charity. I mean, I could try, but... It would be entertaining for some. But I would not be doing hip hop justice. These girls are much, much better and more talented.

[Charity] Than I was just reminiscing about some of the things that I have covered at the Iowa State Fair. And while doing those scary rides was mostly fun, the scariest thing that I've ever done is cover the country line dancing.

[Travis] I think I remember that story.

[Charity] That, oh my gosh, I'm so bad. And it was so unbelievably embarrassing. But it's a very funny piece and you can find it at iowapbs.org. You can go back and watch me embarrass myself at the line dancing class. And I mean people, there was a woman from Spain who teaches line dancing in Spain, and she was standing right next to me. I was totally outclassed. What are you doing at a class? She was incredible. Well, she was fun to watch.

[Travis] That's the time and place to do it at the Iowa State Fair.

This is Miss Senior World 60s for 2025, Dr. Glynis Worthington, pickleball scientist.

[Charity] Okay, so is she a scientist who plays pickleball? Does she study pickleball?

[Travis] That's a good question.

[Charity] She looks like she's having fun. That's all I care about. That's great.

[Travis] That is a crown.

[Charity] Yeah, well, she's over 50. She should get quite a crown. She's earned that.

[Travis] Desvelada.

[Charity] They are having fun.

♪♪

[s] Claims the best Mexican seafood in Iowa.

[Charity] Okay. He's going to need a lozenge later.

The Iowa Democratic Party coming down the street now.

[Travis] Representing all sorts of office holders and various candidates for future offices.

[Charity] They look like they're having fun.

[Travis] Charity, what is the record for the cornhole tournament?

[Charity] Oh, right. This was set pretty recently.

[Travis] The Guinness World Record.

[Charity] Was that set last year?

[Travis] 2022. More than 700 people.

[Charity] Wow.

[Travis] Way, way outdid the previous record.

[Charity] So much pride.

[Travis] And we will be covering the Cornhole Tournament this year. You can see that as part of our fair coverage on Saturday, the 16th at 9:00 during our fair show. We're also going to be covering another attempt to break a different world record. The most people scratching off a lottery scratch ticket once. So stay tuned for that.

[Charity] We've got the East High cheerleaders making their way past. And the football team is coming right behind them.

[Travis] This is their neighborhood. East side Friday night, a tradition. Long standing tradition on the first Friday of the fair. Kind of the unofficial class reunion of sorts for the East High schoolers. The East Siders, and Monday night during our fair highlight show, we'll be bringing you a story about that East Side Night tradition. I know people who love to be at the fair on the first Friday night, and I know people who want to stay away because it is crowded. Yeah, it's very crowded. It can be a lot of fun.

[Charity] Look at all these dancers. The Dance Avenue.

♪♪

[Travis] You know, another new thing that's going to be at the fair this year is a drone show. Have you seen a drone show before?

[Charity] I have not in person. I've seen them. I've seen videos.

[Travis] So for the first three nights of the fair, right after the Grandstand concert, they're going to be doing a drone show. Travel Iowa making that happen. And they haven't done that before at the fair. It's a new thing this year and will be kind of fun. A little different than fireworks.

[Charity] Something not as loud..

[Travis] Correct. I'm sure there still will be fireworks some night at the fair.

[Charity] I'm sure there will. They can do some really incredible things with drones. That's super fun.

That is A-NOD. And that is an organization that aims to create safer, more calm interactions between authority figures and people who have certain mental or health concerns. So important. And now we've got motorcycles.

[Travis] The Mid Iowa Trail Riders, a motorcycle club.

As you may have heard, Congress recently cut $3.5 million in federal funding to Iowa PBS. This is the largest one time cut in our 55 year history, affecting 18% of our budget. These funds help maintain our statewide network, delivering trusted local programs to every corner of Iowa. Despite the challenge, we're still committed to our mission to educate, inform, enrich and inspire. Thank you for watching and supporting and standing up for public television. Please consider a gift to Friends of Iowa PBS today.

[Charity] There's a new cattle show at the fair this year. Highland Cattle Show.

[Travis] Yeah, this would be cool to see it.

[Charity] Yeah, I'm excited about it. I love Highland cattle, and I feel like they're having a moment. Like I see advertisements for little stuffed animal Highland cattle. You know, people think they're cute because they are. They're adorable. One of my neighbors is breeding them right now.

Which I drive very slowly past their house. So I get my own Highland cattle show on my way home every day. But the Highland Cattle Show debuts on August 15th in the Livestock Pavilion, showcasing Iowa's newest beef breed under an improved sound system so you can hear every move loud and clear.

[Travis] Now, speaking of animals, do you know who Baby Mine was?

[Charity] I do. An elephant that the children of Des Moines raised money to purchase. Am I right about that?

[Travis] Charity, I'm impressed.

[Charity] I know my Iowa history.

[Travis] Yes, it was a four foot baby elephant and 15,000 Iowa kids helped purchase the elephant for the fair, and they sent in nickels and dimes, collected the money. A few other folks went in and assumed the rest of the cost. And Baby Mine debuted at the 1929 Iowa State Fair, 25,000 kids showed up on the first day to greet Baby Mine.

[Charity] I mentioned earlier when we saw the grand marshal going by - it's not just a person this year - the Fiddle Contest is the Grand Marshal celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. And we did do an interview with Angela Bellagante, the superintendent. Let's listen.

[Paul Yeager] Well, Angela Bellagante is the superintendent of the Fiddlers Competition and part of the Grand Marshals this year. So I guess this is a pretty big year, 100th anniversary of the contest. This is quite the ordeal. What's it mean for you to be here?

[Angela] Means everything for us to be here and celebrate this milestone. And so many people before us have come along and just paved the way. This contest has been strong and steady since 1925, and we've got history of it, and we're celebrating it big this first weekend of the Iowa State Fair up at Pioneer Hall.

[Paul] I see familiar faces all around that have come up. What does it mean to have some of those familiar faces that make sure that this is a part of their fair every year?

[Angela] Oh, that's that's the whole thing. It's like a big family reunion. And we all really enjoy getting together and playing the music and listening, and we all have a good time together and come together for this. It's a community, so we love that.

[Paul] Have you ever been at the front of the parade before?

[Angela] Never. Nope. This is the first and we're honored to be the Grand Marshals this year.

[Paul] And so how else are you going to celebrate this year at the fair?

[Angela] We are having a special tribute. Well, the contest runs Friday the 8th, Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th, and we're having a special tribute of our past fiddlers that have gone before us. And we have special people that will be there, relatives. We have generations that are going to be playing the fiddle and playing the special songs of the people that have passed before us, and we're doing that from 2 to 3 on Sunday, right before the Grand Championship. So it'll be busy, but fun.

[Charity] The 100th anniversary of the Fiddle Contest this year. That's so cool. If you can make it, you should.

[Travis] There is some impressive fiddlers at the state fair, for sure.

[Charity] Yeah. We've got the Iowa honey producers out here now. Founded in 1912. They support Iowa beekeepers through education, advocacy, legislative efforts, field days and fair promotions. Of course, you can always visit their booth upstairs in the Ag building. Maybe try a little bit of honey lemonade.

[Travis] Yeah, another place that I feel like maybe some people don't get to explore because they just, you know. You might see the butter cow and you're out. But go up there to the second level.

[Charity] Back in 2018, I went around the fairgrounds and I asked people to give advice for first time fairgoers and every single person said, "you've got to see the butter cow," and the butter cow is a must see event. Sarah Pratt working there, and her daughters are her apprentices and have been working with her. And now this year, her son is officially apprenticing. He's 13 years old, and of course they've got a butter cow. But they are doing a lot of characters from Toy Story this year because it's the 30th anniversary. That doesn't make me feel old at all, but it's the 30th anniversary of Toy Story. I'm excited to see it, but then go upstairs too.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] You get your free egg.

[Travis] You got to get your egg.

[Charity] You look at the butter cow, and then you go upstairs.

[Travis] And there's some cool competitions that happen there too. You know, you see some of the cool vegetables and gigantic ears of corn.

[Charity] And flowers. There's always something neat in the Ag building and some pretty good stands there too.

[Travis] Yeah, that's a place where you can - if you're if you've had too many funnel cakes, fried food - you can get vegetables.

[Charity] But I believe that you can also get ice cream.

(Laughter)

[Charity] Yes. I believe I've had a strawberry shortcake ice cream sundae in there.

The butter cow sculpture. That's what I was just talking about. Of course, it's always a crowd favorite, but only Iowa PBS takes you behind the scenes as it comes to life. Then experience the pride and pageantry of the FFA Parade of Champions through the eyes of the students who earned their place. These stories and more with the thoughtful, in-depth coverage you expect, Wednesday, August 13th at 9 p.m. on Iowa PBS.

And just yesterday, the new documentary Behind the Blue Ribbon debuted on Iowa PBS. And now you can watch it online at iowapbs.org in its entirety. It'll also be re-aired pretty soon, but there's a really wonderful profile of Sarah Pratt and her daughters in there. And Travis, I teared up. I did not expect that.  Such a lovely family.

[Travis] Well, she did too.

[Charity] Yes, I know, it's contagious.

[Travis] It is cool though, how it has become a family tradition.

[Charity] It's really neat and they have so much fun together. And what cool people.

[Travis] Yeah, and you know, the fact that the daughters are creative people. They're into the sculpting. And now the son as well and, and they go elsewhere to and do some other things around.

[Charity] Well. They just got back from Washington, D.C. because there is a exhibit, I'm going to forget the names. I think the exhibit is called After the State Fair. No, no, it's I don't know. Anyway, it's dedicated to state fairs all over the country. And they carved a butter cow for that exhibit in DC at the Smithsonian. And it will be on display for, like, the next year. And they had to use all new butter.

[Travis] I was just going to say, yeah, the Smithsonian - they were here at the fair or some folks from the Smithsonian a year or two ago collecting some things. And so there will be part of that display involving the Iowa State Fair at the Smithsonian. And Butter Cow. I think they're going to have some of the people that have won awards or been exhibited at the cultural Center as part of that exhibit as well.

[Charity] That's pretty cool. And I think displays from 16 different states. So that would be a really neat thing to get to go see. But, you know, Sarah Pratt prefers to work with very old butter.

[Travis] It's better than the new stuff.

[Charity] That's right, that's right.

[Travis] If you can stand the smell.

[Charity] The things we do for art, right?

[Travis] We once again would like to thank the Iowa Genealogical Society for hosting us in their parking lot here on the east side of downtown Des Moines, providing us this terrific vantage point for this year's State Fair Parade. We've been here for several years. At the Iowa Genealogical Society, they believe that your family story is part of America's story. And so whether it's maybe a great grandfather who served or a grandmother who crossed oceans to come to America, they're not just names on a piece of paper. They're your they're your family. They're your roots, your blood, your legacy. So come visit the Iowa Genealogical Society in Des Moines and start the journey of discovering your family roots.

[Charity] It's a pro tip here. If you're going to be in the parade, it's great to have a cute dog with you. This is the Libertarian Party.

There's a new playground on the fairgrounds this year. I've seen some pictures of it.

[Travis] It does look pretty cool.

[Charity] Yeah, it seems really neat. It's the Variety Star Playground. It is an inclusive agriculture themed play zone designed for guests of all abilities. The train is still there. Obviously a big favorite forever, since the beginning of time, but it's I think it's wonderful to have a playground where everyone can really have an opportunity to have fun.

[Travis] Yeah, want to make sure that anybody and everybody has an opportunity to come out to the fair and enjoy it. So that's really, really great to have that kind of space.

Another dance troupe, the DMI Dance Force.

We've got a party going on. And I appreciate that they've got, you know, they've got some balloons on the trailer here. There aren't a lot of people that do floats anymore.

[Charity] I love a good float.

[Travis] Really decorate something up. You know, for a parade. So give them props. There's a lot of a lot of young folks.

[Charity] Yep.

(Music)

[Travis] I have danced at the fair, at the depot a time or two. I will say.

[Charity] Really, line dancing is my only my only dance adventure.

[Travis] Do you have any idea how many concessionaires and exhibitors operate on the fairgrounds?

[Charity] Oh my gosh, it's so many. I don't, I can't put a number on it.

[Travis] About 500.

[Charity] 500. Wow.

[Travis] That's all the food, merchandise, crafts, the whole gamut. 500.

[Charity] Such a huge production. I've got another pro tip. You know, you've got to get to the museum. I love the State Fair Museum. I think it's a lovely space. It's another one of the secret air conditioned spaces. So if you need a break or if you're overwhelmed by crowds or noise, it's a great place to stop. Except there's some noise in there, because of course, you've got to watch the film of the steam engine collision. The locomotive crashes.

[Travis] Yeah, we were talking about the train being at the playground.

[Charity] Right.

[Travis] There were three train collisions at the Iowa State Fair.

[Charity] It's such a crazy attraction.

[Travis] 1932 was the last one. But, you know, you see that footage and you can definitely understand why it drew a crowd.

[Charity] It was a spectacle. People wanted to see it, for sure.

We just saw Smokey the Bear.

I love to go to the DNR building. That's another great spot at the fairgrounds. I love the aquariums.

[Travis] With all the fish that you can find in rivers and lakes in Iowa.

[Charity] Yeah, here's the central Iowa Tractor Club. I think they may be John Deere fans.

[Travis] It looks to be. There's a lot of green.

[Charity] It's not just John Deere though. I can see other colors...

[Travis] Yeah there's some red and some orange coming.

[Charity] Right. We're going to go to another interview with Paul Yeager and Mindy Williamson, let's see what she has to say.

[Paul] Mindy Williamson is the chief marketing officer at the Iowa State Fair. So Mindy, I guess the easiest question is, you know, it's excitement, of course. So what are you most excited about for this year's fair?

[Mindy] My absolute favorite thing that we have at this year's fair is our accessible playground. The best part of it is a little girl last year came to the fair. She had a great time. But one thing was not fun for her and the playground, she was not able to play on. And so her family sent us a letter and one year later we have a completely accessible playground for her and other kids to be able to enjoy.

[Paul] That's the responsive to the crowd. That's very good. The crowd's also getting ready to vote on some of those new foods. You had 11 finalists. They're down to three. What else can we expect with new food?

[Mindy] You know, there's over 60 new foods. So if you are really into food, you could, you know, have your fill each day. So new food is something that people always look forward to. We give them a checklist. But if you're like me, you have your fair favorites. So you go back to those traditional ones on top of the new ones. So corn dog's king at the Iowa State Fair, pork chop on a stick is king as well. Lemonade is a favorite and we have some hot weather coming. So that ice cream is going to be a winner this year too.

[Paul] Ice is going to be the winner I think this year.

[Mindy] Those air conditioned buildings we've been working on are perfect for this year's fair.

[Paul] There are some other new things. You mentioned the playground. What else is new in the grounds?

[Mindy] So we have a new Lineman's Rodeo, which everyone is asking us what that is, and it's a utility lineman rodeo, which is super cool. It's going to be in the Elwell Family Park. So if you haven't been there, it's our outdoor arena that's new this year. Shivers Plaza is a new kind of food court area on the fairgrounds. You may have noticed over the last couple of years, we built out the lawn on Jacobson. We built out Bubbly Bar at the top of the hill, and this year it's Shivers Plaza. So right across from our pavilion is where that area is this year.

[Paul] You mentioned a lot of new things. They also sound bigger. How big is the fair this year?

[Mindy] Well, big in size, 450 acres. We're still crushing it all in there. But big. We're hoping for over that 1 million mark again. And it's different for everyone. So if you don't like the crowds, go up to the top of the hill. If you like tradition, go to Pioneer Hall. If you like music, try one of the beer venues at the fair, maybe free entertainment grandstand. So no matter what you're into, we probably have something that you could enjoy at the Iowa State Fair.

[Charity] I think that is true, Travis. There's something for everyone at the Iowa State Fair.

[Travis] Even if you just pop in for a short period of time and you've got something specific you want to go to and get out, that's perfectly fine, too. Or if you want to spend all day combing all 400 plus acres...

It is a little bit of an effort to get there. So you should enjoy it. Make sure you can eat some food, walk around, enjoy it because there is a variety. And so it's good to, you know, not be constrained by one event or one building, one place. Do it all.

[Charity] Celebrate Recovery Iowa. It adapts a 12 step model to help people heal from hurts, habits, and hangups.

I really like the shuttles, the Dart shuttles. It's a great way to skip the whole parking.

[Travis] Yeah, and there are certain times and days where parking is - the traffic getting right up to the gate at the fairgrounds is a little bit tricky. You're going to wait a little while, but yeah, the shuttles are really convenient. You can pretty easily park and then hop on a bus. They'll take you right to the gate and be there waiting for you when you get done.

[Charity] School of Rock. Performance based music education program. Young musicians.

♪♪

[Travis] Definitely a fun program.

♪♪

[Travis] And following right behind them, they're getting musical entertainment throughout the parade, the Polk County Republicans.

[Charity] It's not an election year, but...

[Travis]... it always feels like it.

[Charity] Doesn't it? It feels like it doesn't stop. But we often have politicians on the fairgrounds, and we've had a lot of presidential visits to the fairgrounds over the years.

[Travis] It's a way, hey, if you're a political wannabe or an elected official, the state fair is a good place to see and talk to and get in front of and meet a lot of people from all different corners of Iowa, or even beyond. So yeah, it's a popular place for politicians to want to visit. Of course, the Republicans and Democrats usually have a booth in the Varied Industries Building as well, and people will pop in there. So sometimes when you venture in there, there might be somebody you recognize who's in there taking some photos.

[Charity] You want to take a look at the schedule at the Des Moines Register Soapbox.

[Travis] Soapbox. Yeah.

[Charity] And, as somebody who has followed politics closely over the years, I, feel like the state fair is a really interesting space for politicians. I feel like, you know, the soapbox speeches are often planned and orchestrated, but then when people get out and they wander the fairgrounds, sometimes they say some surprising things. They may not be as much on their guard.

(Laughter)

It's worth paying attention for sure.

[Travis] Well, when you're out among the people you know, things aren't as scripted and predictable, right?

[Charity] Right. Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower both been to the fair. Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter as a candidate back in 1976. George W. Bush, Barack Obama also as a candidate. President Donald Trump came in 2015 as a candidate. Did he actually enter the fairgrounds that year, or is that the flyover year? I don't remember.

[Travis] I Think he was in the fairgrounds and Joe Biden was there as a candidate as well. And Ronald Reagan, right? Not in his presidential capacity, but sports director, he was working for WHO Radio.

[Charity] That's right. Iowa PBS is always trying to bring you more ways to get involved in our Iowa State Fair coverage. So please like us on Facebook. You can find live coverage there. And up to the minute updates on X. We're also on Instagram and Snapchat, so we would love to give you a behind the scenes look and a little bit of extra fair fun. Follow us on our socials.

♪♪

There's a whole team working hard on that.

[Travis] You can't. I tell you, you can't miss the coverage if you're watching, if you're following, it's going to be everywhere. And we want to make sure that everybody gets a chance to experience the fair wherever they might be or however they're getting their information.

[Charity] Got another dance team coming our way. True Talent Dance in hot pink. Can't miss them. It's always interesting to look at the attendance numbers following the fair. Approximately what, 100,000 people a day?

[Travis] Give or take, depending on the day. Last year, a new record for total attendance and then individual records on 3 or 4 days of the fair, I think. 1,182,682, the total number of people through the gates last year overtaking the 2019 previous record. So we've been over a million several times now.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] It's a it's a little bit dependent on maybe things that are going on at the fair. But weather for sure.

[Charity] Weather, weather and weather.

[Travis] So I think we're going to have some off and on rain this year for a few days at least here on the early half.

[Charity] It's not all bad.

[Travis] So it depends on how long it lasts.

[Charity] Absolutely, absolutely.

[Travis] A quick shower is not anything too bad.

[Charity] Well, I mean, you look at all the kids who play in the fountains, you know, you're just... we're all playing in the fountains on the rainy days.

[Travis] At Pioneer Hall, they have all sorts of fun contests. We talked about the Fiddler Contest. They have chicken calling and husband calling and hog calling. And the contest where everybody yells. The various ones of those.

[Charity] Right.

[Travis] Right. And then outside on the grounds, on the hill there, they have a handful of competitions as well. One of them is the cow chip throwing. Have you ever done the cow chip?

[Charity] I have not, have you?

[Travis] I have not actually competed, but I have done it.

[Charity] You just did it for fun?

[Travis] I've covered it several times and I have picked it.

Yes. Yeah, I just walk out into the nearest field I can find.

It is it's kind of a science to choose because they have multiple chips that you can choose what you're going to throw. And there is some strategy behind that if you've done it for a long time. Do you know what the record is for both men and women? For the cow chip throwing?

[Charity] I do not know.

[Travis] The men's record is held by Scott Pope, set in 1992, 180 feet. The women's record is held by Pam Safko, set in 1982, the men's record in 1992. I don't I might have messed that up, 1982. The Women's Record 146.7 feet. But it's been a long time ago, so I think, you know, I don't know if people are sloughing off now or if we're just weaker than we used to be.

[Charity] All right.

[Travis] So it's time for a new record for the cow chip throwing.

One of the other contests out there is the rubber chicken throwing. Yes. Sometimes people wonder why we have rubber chicken.

[Charity] I know why.

[Travis] Yes. The reason why is because it used to be a rolling pin.

[Charity] That's so dangerous. I just...

[Travis] Until someone threw a rolling pin through the windshield of a Des Moines police car.

[Charity] I can only imagine that people got hit before that, though. It took a window shattering to really make us think through. But oh, my goodness, you think a golf ball is dangerous? A rolling pin?

[Travis] Yeah, but they, you know, people line both sides heading down that hill there. And sometimes even when you get the rubber chicken coming down there, you know, you get people who have to sort of move back a little ways.

[Charity] Right. I mean, I suppose you don't want a rubber chicken in your eye.

The Beard Growing Contest is another really terrific Iowa State Fair competition. It is as competitive as it is creative. And of course, here at Iowa PBS, we've got a front row seat to all that facial hair flare. Then it's raw horsepower and high drama at the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulls, where every pull is a test of guts and gear.

♪♪

You can catch these can't miss contests and more. Thursday, August 14 at 9 p.m. on Iowa PBS. And of course, our cameras are everywhere, so you don't have to miss a thing. And say, "hi." If you see us out at the fair, we'd love to see you. We've talked a lot about food, but you want to take a guess to how many breeds of animals there are represented at the fair?

[Travis] I would take a guess, but I already saw the number, Charity.

[Charity] All right. Well, the Avenue of Breeds represents 70 breeds and approximately 100 animals. Today, the Avenue of Breeds is located west of the Bruce L Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building. Prior to its location in the Swine Barn, the Avenue of Breeds was located in the Cattle Barn, and of course, there are many, many other creatures there as well.

[Travis] It's fun to look go through that Avenue of Breeds and just see the wide range of different animals.

[Charity] I think, if I have to pick, the Horse Barn is my favorite. I love to go see the horses.

[Travis] And there are some new improvements, we learned, at the Horse Barn.

[Charity] $13 million of improvements. Is that what it said?

[Travis] I think there are more to come. I think I heard they're putting in heated flooring, perhaps, so that they can have events there throughout the year.

[Charity] Nice. Excellent.

♪♪

[Travis] As you may have heard, Congress recently cut $3.5 million to federal funding to Iowa PBS. This is the largest one time cut in our 55 year history, and it affects 18% of our budget. These funds help maintain our statewide network, delivering trusted local programs to every corner of Iowa. Despite that challenge, we are committed to our mission at Iowa PBS to educate, inform, enrich and inspire. Thank you for watching, supporting and standing up for public television. Please consider a gift to Friends of Iowa PBS today. You can easily scan the QR code on the screen right now, or give us a call at 800-779-7000. Support Iowa PBS. Support state fair programing. Just one of the many kinds of local programs that really only Iowa PBS does and brings to you throughout the year. Such a wide range of programing covering the people and the events and the communities all across our state. And we thank you for your support.

[Charity] We've got a replica of the temple here, the Golden Temple. Many other members of the Sikh community coming our way. Iowa is such a diverse state.

[Travis] Yeah, I was going to say it's been really interesting and fun to see. In the last, I would say couple decades or so, there have been more varieties. You've seen more examples of the diversity pop up with places of worship or cultural centers all across the state, and some of them, you know, rural areas that are kind of in the middle of nowhere.

[Charity] Right? It's so fun to see people really represent themselves and their culture, which is part of our greater culture during the fair parade, as well.

[Travis] That's part of the part of the wonder of the fair. And part of the fair's mission. And it's great to see in a parade, but just people getting the opportunity to see or explore, you know, people from the city who get to go to the fair and see all the animals we've been talking about. And so maybe people from various parts of the state that get to see or be exposed to people and cultures that are different.

[Charity] And there are so many wonderful things. Wonderful cultural performances at the fair as well. Just some wonderful opportunities. I tend to go early in the run of the fair, and a great disappointment that I have - I need to get back at the end, because I always miss the llamas.

You know? there's a lot of turnover. Things are happening. Things are changing every day at the Iowa State Fair. So I've never been to the Llama Limbo.

[Travis] I can't say that I've seen that one either.

[Charity] We can go. We can go together.

[Travis] I will do that.

Modern Custom Dreams. Another car club.

[Charity] Some pretty tricked out vehicles here. LED lighting.

We also caught up with the state fair queen earlier. Paul Yeager caught up with her. Let's see what she had to say.

[Paul] Elli Blackford is the 2024 Iowa State Fair Queen and Elli, you're only queen for just a couple more days. What's it meant for you to be queen this year?

[Elli] It's been a childhood dream come true. Growing up, we always camped at the state fair, and I was very involved in my county fair and 4-H and FFA growing up. So I've shown at the state fair. I've never missed one, even in COVID. We were here for special edition and in the campgrounds, so it has just been such a dream to be able to look up to all of the queens, all of the past years and be in the same position and see the fair from the other point of view.

[Paul] And it is a big experience. You get to go and travel all over. So how would you sum up this whole experience?

[Elli] It's just been absolutely breathtaking. Everywhere you go, everywhere you travel, you always see something new. Each community is so different, and all of the county fairs really encapsulate that. These queens, they come from pride in their communities, and they are just so proud of where they come from, and they're willing to share that with everybody around them. You can see that in their character for sure.

[Paul] A year ago at this time, you're one of 99 or 100 getting ready, and you're nervous and doing those things. So what are you going to make sure you capture, knowing these are only the last couple of days you get to be queen?

[Elli] I think every little small moment is the ones you really have to take in. You know, you never know when you're going to put a smile on someone's face or change somebody's outcome for their day at the fair. So just making sure that I can stay present and stay in those moments for myself and for my chaperone and for everybody around me.

[Paul] Okay, so if they're watching in the hotel tonight on replay, what advice do you have for your successor?

[Elli] Just be yourself. You're always going to be tired if you're trying to pretend to be someone else and there's nobody else like you. Your community wants to see you go out and be your best self and be who they know you to be. And every little girl looking up to you wants to see that you're real and you're not just some made up fictional character that they'd see in a book or a TV show. So I just think the number one thing is to always be confident and always be yourself and be willing to go out and talk to others.

[Charity] And Travis, you're you're going to be there for the coronation.

[Travis] I will be there Saturday night on the Bill Riley stage, and we will have live coverage of that, I believe 7:00 Saturday night.

[Charity] And, you know, you've got a home county.

[Travis] I've got to study up, for sure.

(Laughter)

[Charity] Well, yeah.

(Laughter)

[Travis] Yes.

(Laughter)

[Charity] Everyone does.

There are 104 candidates, which is more than we have.

[Travis] 99 counties. Yeah. There are some that have more than one, yes.

Do you know who holds the record for the largest Grandstand crowd at the Iowa State Fair?

[Charity] Oh, is it Johnny Cash?

[Travis] It is not. He is one of the top five.

[Charity] Okay.

[Travis] Same era though.

[Charity] Bigger than Johnny Cash. In the 70s?

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] Travis I'm stumped.

[Travis] Four of the top five are in the 70s. So again, we've got some work to do, folks. We're letting these records slip.

Sonny and Cher.

[Charity] Sonny and Cher.

[Travis] Sonny and Cher in 1972.

26,200 people in two shows. But in one show, the Beach Boys drew 25,400. That's the largest single show.

[Charity] Oh my goodness, that's amazing.

[Travis] That was in 1975. Johnny Cash in 1970. 25,300. So not bad at all.

[Charity] All right. Who else rounds out that list?

[Travis] Chicago in 1974. And then number five, the Oak Ridge Boys in 1982.

[Charity] So we haven't had a record since 1982?

[Travis] Almost yeah, almost 45 years.

[Charity] Interesting.

[Travis] 43 years.

[Charity] I saw the Beach Boys on the National Mall in 1983, 1984. I don't know, I was a little kid. Memorable. Tell you what.

[Travis] This is the Jeep Outdoor Club of Central Iowa. More jeeps. And they just turn around the block and come back.

[Charity] No. There are just this many jeeps. Another jeep club, popular thing.

(Laughter)

At Iowa PBS. We don't just show you the fair, we take you there from the gentle chaos of goat yoga, where flexibility meets farm animals, to the grit and grace of 4-H students proudly showing their livestock. Our cameras are right in the middle of it all. Don't miss these stories and more on Friday night's state fair highlights program, August 15 at 9 p.m. Only on statewide Iowa PBS.

You know, I think good state fair advice is to see something, go somewhere, do something that has nothing to do with your life. You know, I don't grill out, this is not my deal. One of the most enjoyable experiences that I've had at the Iowa State Fair was going to the grilling competition. These people are so dedicated, so intense, so focused. Many of them had been up all night.

Start in the middle of the night, start at like 1:00 in the morning because they've got to get the smoker going. It was quite something. And anybody at the Iowa State Fair is eager to tell you about what they're doing. You know, like we have an excuse to ask questions. But I feel like people are so excited, if they're so excited about what they're doing, that they came all the way to the Iowa State Fair, they're ready to share.

[Travis] And share they do. I will actually be covering the cookout competition this year. They like to share samples of the the fruits of their labor, if you will. For sure. And so if you're in the right place at the right time and you happen to be walking by while they're out with the tray providing some samples, you hit the jackpot.

[Charity] Nice.

This is Kingdom Living Iowa. It's an organization that offers sober, structured, transitional housing for adults coming from incarceration, treatment centers, homelessness, or similar challenges.

[Travis] They have quite the crowd.

[Charity] Yeah, it is.

[Travis] They turned out for the state fair parade, for sure. Bravo.

[Charity] Have you ever milked a cow at the Iowa State Fair?

[Travis] I have not, but I know people who have.

[Charity] All of them work for Iowa PBS? Many, many people have the opportunity to milk cows during the Iowa State Fair. There are 18 cows on average, many more during the first weekend when dairy cattle are showing in the milking parlor at the Iowa State Fair. And of course, if you're going to go to the dairy barn, you should probably have ice cream.

[Travis] It's a good place to go for it.

[Charity] How many times in one day do you think it's okay to have ice cream?

[Travis] Well, are you talking a normal day or a a state fair day?

[Charity] No, a state fair day.

[Travis] I think state fair - all rules are out.

[Charity] Three?, three times?

[Travis] During the ten days of the state fair, it's how many times you want to have ice cream, Charity. There are no rules during the fair.

(Laughter)

[Charity] Oh, that's good.

Now we've got the Challenger Cruise club. My Challenger Car Club. Also, some more tricked out vehicles.

[Travis] We've seen some challengers in the parade already, but this specific club, they all have interesting tricked out headlights. Most of them do.

[Charity] If you think the Iowa State Fair is just about food and farm animals, think again, Travis. You're wrong. Our cameras will be rolling as utility workers show off serious skill and strength at the Lineman's Rodeo. It's high flying, fast paced, and totally unforgettable. Then get ready to giggle as some of the fair's youngest entertainers grab the mic and go for the laughs at the Kids Joke Telling Contest. And of course, you don't want to miss a minute. Saturday, August 16 at 9 p.m. on statewide Iowa PBS. We'll be focusing on those features.

The Kids Joke Telling contest is pretty cute.

♪♪

[Travis] Yeah, and if you're looking for jokes to bank for yourself or future telling, it's a good place to be.

[Charity] Research joke material there. You may be familiar with some of the jokes.

[Travis] What are you suggesting?

[Charity] No, I was, you know, I grew up - early childhood was spent in central Iowa, so I watched the Duane and Floppy Show. And kids always told jokes at the beginning of that show. Same jokes every week. How do you make time fly? Throw the clock out the window. What did the ceiling say to the wall? Meet you at the corner.

[Travis] Yes, those qualify as dad jokes.

[Charity] I think there were only there were only four jokes that Iowa children knew at that time, and they were said over and over on the Duane and Floppy Show. Another piece of Americana.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] You can be part of Iowa PBS's online state fair coverage. All you need to do is have a phone and a camera on your phone, share your favorite fair photos at iowapbs.org. If you post to our public gallery, your photo could be featured for all fair fans to enjoy. So take some great pictures while you're there.

One of my favorite places to take pictures is the Discovery Garden right outside the Agriculture Building. I love that little garden. It's taken care of by the master gardeners. Really beautiful. Usually hibiscus is usually a bloom during the fair. The size of dinner plates. Those hibiscus flowers. But my favorite part? I love to see the kids coming out of the tunnel of plants.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] It's so fun.

[Travis] I once tried to get in there not that long ago.

[Charity] And it's small.

[Travis] Yeah, it's it's not made...I mean, adults can go in it, but it's more tailored to...

[Charity] But be prepared. Know what you're getting into.

We've got dancing horses coming our way.

[Travis] Yeah. This is always a fun part of the fair parade.

[Charity] This is actually my favorite part of the parade. Escaramuza Amazonas Del Bajio. And here comes the music, too. Now, often these groups perform at the fair as well. So you want to look out for that because this is really, it's a deep, deep cultural tradition. Incredible skill. Gorgeous costumes, amazing horses. And it's just so much fun.

♪♪

[Charity] Beautiful costumes. I think riding side saddle on a dancing horse would be a little frightening to me, but obviously these are very skilled riders. A lot of practice.

[Travis] They know what they're doing.

[Charity] They do. El Bajio Boots is next. More dancing horses.

[Travis] Look at that. The hair on that horse.

[Charity] Gorgeous. Imagine how long that horse takes to groom. I hope they're very careful not to let him get into a burr patch. That would be...

(Laughter)

[Travis] That would be a nightmare.

(Laughter)

[Charity] Yep. Weeks of work.

[Travis] Then there's another one with long hair.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] He's got quite the stride.

[Charity] Absolutely high stepping. Look at that. That's beautiful. I hope the horses are having as much fun as I have watching them dance. That's amazing. Just amazing. And again, it's a peek at the rich cultural tapestry that is Iowa in 2025. Part of what makes our state strong and unique.

[Travis] And like you say, there are opportunities out at the fair to see and experience this as well. From the music to the Charros. So look up the fair schedule, find those places and opportunities where you can take it all in.

[Charity] I think about this as the grand finale of the parade. I know they have to be at the end of the parade because of all the horse manure.

[Travis] It's a logistics strategic thing.

[Charity] It is, but it's such a perfect way to finish it out. This one is the Escaramuza Quetzalli drill team. Escaramuza is a female equestrian drill team. They were founded in early 2022, in Des Moines. And of course, again, this is a cultural tradition that goes back far, far farther than 2022. A team of eight riders performs in the Mexican tradition of Escaramuza Charra, the only official women's event in the national sport of charreria. Using synchronized routines while riding side saddle. All right, we've got some lasso work going on there. That's great.

[Travis] Oh my gosh.

[Charity] Oh my gosh.

[Travis] Look at the little guy.

[Charity] Yeah. Can you imagine twirling a lasso all the way down Grand Avenue? This is hard work.

(Laughter)

[Travis] He is having fun.

[Charity] Yeah. They're all having fun out there. Oh, that little guy is super cute. More great music. Oh my goodness. Honing his skills.

[Travis] Don't get too close. He might rope you in.

[Charity] Yep.

♪♪

A lot of talent out here.

♪♪

You can see the sun reflecting on the golden dome of the capitol as things kind of wind up here.

[Travis] What a fun evening. A great way to kick off the Iowa State Fair, Charity. And a reminder, folks, this is just the beginning. We've got all of our state fair coverage, including six nights of fair highlights. We'll be covering the queen coronation live on Saturday night, the Bill Riley Talent Show, all of it on Iowa PBS.

[Charity] We will see you at the fair.

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